Broadside entitled 'Awful Crime'

Transcription

Awful Crime!

A full and particular account of the Trial and Sen-tence of JAMES NEWLANDS, who is to be executedat Inverness, on Saturday the 25th May, 1833, forthe Horrible crime of Rape on a young girl, only17 years of age.

At Inverness, on Thursday the 2d May 1833, James Newlands,from Speymouth, Morayshire, was put to the bar, charged withhaving voilated the person of a young woman named Jane Ross,,servant to John Inglis, farmeo at Westerton. The prisoner pleadednot guilty. This case was, as usual, tried with closed doors. Theunfortunate woman is only 17 years of age. It appears the prisonerhad in company with Jane Ross, and several other young persons,been returning from Elgin Feeing Market; they stopt at a publichouse at Lanbride, and had a glass or two of spirits. Newlands(who is about 39 years of age, and unmarried) then advised JaneRoss to walk on before with him, and take a different road fromthe rest of the party, stating that they would speedily rejoin themat a place where the two roads met. He had no intention of re-joining the company, but violated the person of the poor girl, andbrutally attacked her three different times. On reaching her mas-ter's house, she informed her mistrces of the ill treatment she hadexperienced, and next morning she acquainted her relations withthe fact. The case was fully established by the evidence of theyoung woman and other witnesses. It engaged the Court fromabout three o'clock to half-past two on the Sabbath morning. Thejury returned a verdict of guilty of ths crime libelled, but from theprevious good character of the prisoner, unanimously recommend-ed him to mercy.

Monday, April 29th.? At nine o'clock this morning the Court as-sembled. Jemes Newlands was placed at the bar, and Lord Med-wyn addressed his brother judge, Lord Moncrieff, at some length, onthe henious nature of the crime of which the jury had fouud thepannel guilty, after a painful and patient investigation, He- felt itto be his duty to propose, in the aggravated circumstances of thecase, nothing less than the punishment of death. His lordship there-fore proposed that the prisoner at the bar be executed on the 25thof May.

Lord Moncrieff put on the black coif, and the prisoner havingstood up, proceeded in a most impressive manner to deliver thesentence proposed by Lord Medwyn. His Lordship referred tosome of the leading circumstances of the case, exhibiting the malig-nity of his intentions, and the cruelty of his purposes. From youryears and other circumstances, you was calculated to be the pro-tector rather than the destroyer of the young woman, whom youhave so deeply and irreparably injured. After she had cast herselfupon your confidence and protection you have planted in her hearta wound which she herself has declared was more painful to herthan death itself. When our Creator presented to man in his lone-ly and unfallen state, woman, to be a comfort and a blessing, hedid not give her for the gratification of passions, degrading in them-selves, or like that of the brutes that perish, but for the perpetuationand preservation of our own species. The God of Nature has im-planted in the constitution of women, principles and feelings whichare calculated to exalt and improve our condition, and has given toour sex, affections and privileges, which woman, in her proper place,can well esteem and repay. But for you, unfortnnat man, you haveviolated the laws of God and nature, and with a determination andresklessness degrading to our sex, for the gratification of your sel-fish passions, turned a blessing into a bitter curse. Your days arenow numbered, and it becomes you to apply to that fountain ofmercy, which is able to make you acceptable to God ; and one ofthe first visible evidences of your repentance will be, to banish fromyour mind all feelings of resentment towards that young woman,whose happiness you have destroyed, and by every means whichthe law permits, and you have in your power, to endeavour to re-store to her, that character which, in the course of your defence,you have attempted to deprive her of, by throwing out insinuationsas to her purity. I would not advise you, said his Lordship, em-phatically, to build much hope on the recommendation to mercy,to which I have referred, but would recommend you to prepareyour mind to meet that God before whom you must so speedily ap-pear. May the God of peace, that brought again from the deadthat everlasting covenant, grant you the salvation of which you standso much in need. His Lordship then read the sentence of the Court.

The prisoner seemed little affected during the delivery of this sol-emn adress, and at the conclusion, when about to be removed, turnedround as if he had forgot something, and exclaimed in a moderatelyfirm voice?" I declare before God and man, and this Court, that Iam innocent."